Memories of Regret
by ShadeSpirit
Summary: Kurama had forgotten. He has forgotten Youko and Makai and now the only memories he has left are those of a normal human life. 4 years later, the cries of Lucifer begin to echo the city of Surrey and those with a 6th sense are the first to suffer.
1. Beginnings of Remembrance

Ok, this is a new story from me. Yes, I know I should be working Of Death and Crows, but I couldn't help myself. The idea for this just suddenly popped up. So of course I'd start to work on it. Tell me what you guys think, ok?

Oh, and I will say this only one time: **I do not own YYH! Just the plot and Aria.**

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4 Years Ago

_Five beings witnessed a horrible act, one that could cause a terrible rift in Rekai if the details ever got out to the public. Four of those five beings were caught. No one knew the fifth had ever existed. The four witnesses were Rekai's ex-spirit detective and his colleagues. To protect the peace of Rekai, they were silenced. Memories were erased, blocks were put on their abilities, and they were sent to different corners of the world. What happened that fateful night would always remain a secret, unless the fifth being had her say in the matter._

Present day Surrey, Minamino and Thames residence

The irritating call of the alarm clock blared through the small apartment, leaving its occupant covering his ears in an attempt to block out the sound. However, not too long after his alarm began calling, his door was shoved open and his roommate walked in, shutting off the ear-wrenching alarm before flicking on the lights. "Suichi, 'tis time to ge' up! Don' wanna be late again," said the chipper voice of his roommate, Victoria. Green eyes glared at the woman until she left the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Once she had left, Suichi groaned and dragged himself from the comfort of his warm and rumpled sheets. He stumbled over to his window and pulled aside the curtains, glancing out. The sky was overcast and gloomy; the usual British weather. With a yawn, he walked to the joint shower he shared with Victoria and got himself ready for the day.

He emerged from the bathroom half an hour later, a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth as he hopped along on one foot, trying to pull on a stubborn sock. Why had he decided to take morning classes again? Oh, right, because everyone else took the afternoon ones. Since he preferred a less crowded classroom, he usually took every morning class he could get. But he was never able to sleep in, unlike Victoria, who took afternoon and evening classes. However, she never took the opportunity to sleep in and was always up even before Suichi.

Once the stubborn sock was on his foot and he had slipped on his shoes, the red head finished brushing his teeth and began brushing his still-wet hair. He didn't wear it as long as he used to while he was still in Japan. Now it was much shorter and cut in layers. Usually he parted it to the side, letting his hair hide one of his startling green eyes. However, the longer bits of his hair were still long enough to frame his jaw and tickle the nape of his neck. Once he had finished styling his hair to perfection, the tall man stole a bit of toast from Victoria and left their shared apartment, ignoring her shouted complaints about him being a toast thief.

He would walk to Kingston College as he did almost every day. The apartment he rented out with Victoria was right on Eden Street, so the college was only a 15 minute walk away if he was in no hurry. Suichi took his time, waiting until a double-decker bus had passed before crossing the street. As he walked, he took a deep breath of air. Hmm, it would rain today, he thought to himself as he switched his backpack to the other shoulder. Looking up ahead, he spotted a young woman leaning against a light pole, dressed in a stylish black trench coat with a large pair of sleek sunglasses hiding her eyes. As he passed her, Suichi felt an odd sort of connection which had him frowning and turning to look at the woman. She suddenly smiled, but it lent her an almost sinister cast. "Youko is there," she whispered before pushing off from the light post and hurrying into the college, leaving Suichi in a cloud of confusion outside.

Soon enough, Suichi pushed aside the odd incident and went inside, heading towards his first class, Creative Writing. He soon settled down and lost himself within the lesson. Their assignment for the day was to create their own legend. He decided he would create one from his native land, Japan. Ah, but what to do? He assumed most of his classmates would be writing legends about unicorns, King Arthur, or some other thing with a British theme. So he would write on demons. He doubted many of the students here knew much about them. Now, what were the kinds of demons he knew about? The one that immediately jumped to mind was the Kitsune. They were a crafty species, often using their cunning and quick wit to get the best of others. Once he had that decided, he simply let his hand flow over the paper, leading to the creation of The Legend of the Bandit King.

Pleased with his creation, he sat back against his seat. It would need some revising, he knew, but the assignment was an over-night project anyway. Suddenly, a shadow fell over his shoulder, causing him to glance up and see the woman from earlier looking at his paper with interest. "See? Youko wishes to be remembered," she murmured before flashing him a quick smile and leaving the room.

"Youko?" he murmured aloud as he stared at the paper. Was that his bandit creation? Well, it seemed as good a name as any other, especially since Youko literally meant 'spirit fox' in Japanese. But it needed something more. After a moment, he scrawled the name Youko Kurama at the top of the page with a large question mark behind it. He would think about it later, he decided, gathering his things together as the professor ended class. His other two classes passed quickly enough and soon Suichi was on his way to his favorite pub to have a bit of lunch before heading to his apartment to work on his creative writing project.

He entered the dark pub and was led to a small table where he could look over the menu to decide what he wanted. He finally decided on a simple meal of fish and chips and handed his menu back to the waitress. As he sipped at his tea, his green eyes roved the pub. There weren't many people here at the moment, but that was fine for him. However, he did spot a familiar figure. His brows drew down in a frown as he returned his gaze to his tea. Was that woman stalking him? It was an unsettling thought. Should he confront her? He certainly wouldn't walk home now, not until he knew what that odd woman wanted. So when he finished his meal, he paid his bill and left, bypassing his apartment in favor of heading to the nearest park.

There, he set his things beside him on a bench and he pulled out his paper, deciding to go over some things. He quickly fixed his mistakes, adding in some bits and taking away others so that it would be fully ready to type up when he got back to his apartment. Suddenly, a brisk wind picked up, causing the man to hold tightly to his paper in fear of it flying away. Glancing up, he noticed it had become very dark. It would rain soon. The thought sent him gathering his things so he could get home. Stalker or no, he needed to get back to his apartment before it began to pour.

He walked back to the complex, occasionally glancing over his shoulder as he checked for the woman who seemed to be following him today. However, he never caught sight of her and so eventually relaxed. Just as he walked inside the door, there was a loud boom and the heavens split open, letting rain spill down. Thankful he had reached his home in time, he quickly made his way to his room so he could pull out his laptop and type out his paper. Once that was done, he printed it out and put it with his things for tomorrow. Then he left his room in favor of watching a bit of TV. It wasn't long before he was dozing and odd visions were flashing before his mind.

_A young man with tattered wings and an odd hat, skewered with many sharp bamboo sticks and a pained expression on his face as he yells out to run and leave him. Breathlessness and pain as he is hit from behind and leaves his demonic body. A short man with a bandana who confronts him as a boy, finally helping him to save a young girl called Maya. A mirror with an eerie voice who will help him save his mother at the cost of his life. Taking a hit for a young man so he can stop a familiar red-eyed figure. A black haired man with mask who gave him agony…_

With a yell, Suichi immediately sat up and fell off of the couch. Picking himself up off the floor, he calmed his breathing. What was the deal with his dream? It was all jumbled together, like a patchwork quilt, and so very confusing. What did it all mean? And why was he so terrified of the man with the mask? It made no sense. Moving to the kitchen, he went to the stove to make himself some warm tea. As he turned to grab the container with the teabags, he caught sight of someone who should not have been there. It was that same woman. Suichi stilled, narrowing his eyes at the figure as she smiled up at him from the seat she had taken at the table. She still had on her sunglasses, he noted. How could she see?

"How did you get in here?"

Suichi's voice cracked the strained silence, destroying the uneasy peace that permeated the room. The woman's smile slowly faded from her lips as she continued to stare. After a moment, she opened her mouth to speak, taking in a delicate breath.

"You aren't ready for me to tell you that."

Lashes hid brilliant green eyes as Suichi looked down to the floor, considering her answer. He wasn't ready? What did that mean? And her voice…for some reason, Suichi had expected it to be sweet and delicate. He wasn't sure why. Instead, it was low and husky, with a world-wearied quality to it, as if she had lived for a long time and had seen many things. But that couldn't very well be. She was what, maybe early 20's? Surely no more than that. What did she have to be tired about?

"Ok, fine then. At least tell me your name, then."

A smile. "Something I can answer. You may call me Aria."

Suichi detected no pause, so it must be her real name, unless she was used to giving names other than her own. But for now, he wouldn't press, but neither would he trust her. She had been following him all day, after all.

"Suichi," he replied.

"I know."

Oh, well, of course she would know. Stalkers had to know their prey, yes? His eyes glanced over her form, wondering if she had any weapons on her person. Maybe she was one of those psychos who ran around chaining up people and cutting off pieces of flesh and…better not let him mind run away with him. He'd get paranoid. Besides, she was probably just some random fan girl. Inari knew he'd had enough in Japan. Wait a minute… Did he just pray to Inari? Who was that? Filing that away for later research, he looked back to his 'guest' to see that she was still sitting there, watching him.

"Is there any particular reason you've been following me around all day?"

"I wish to save our future."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Aria only gave him another smile. "We shall speak again, Youko Kurama." Then before Suichi could do anything, she simply vanished.

The young man stared at the empty chair, mouth open as his eyes widened with shock. That did not just happen. There was only one possible explanation. She had never been there. He had been sleep-walking and had dreamt the whole thing up. Yes, he could feel the dream drift away now… Ok, maybe not. But it had to be a dream. However, he could pass the time by trying to find information on Inari. He'd never heard the name before, and had wondered why he would dream such a thing. So he booted up his laptop and logged online, heading straight to wikipedia.

_Inari is variously depicted as either male or female. The god often appears as an old man, carrying a sack of rice, followed by two white foxes; however, Inari also frequently appears as a woman. It seems to be the case that, at one point, there existed two separate gods known as Inari — one male, one female; one a god of rice, the other a more general god of food and fertility. Over time, the separate gods became one composite mythological entity, who continued to be depicted as either male and female. The preferred gender of depiction varies by region and by one's personal beliefs. Because of Inari's close association with kitsune, Inari is also sometimes depicted as a fox. Folklore also attests to his shape-shifting abilities: on one occasion, Inari appeared to a wicked man in the shape of a monstrous spider as a way of teaching him a lesson. Inari's female aspect is often identified or conflated with the Dakiniten, incarnations of the Buddhist deity Dakini, or with Benzaiten of the Seven Lucky Gods._

Suichi sat back in his seat, a thoughtful frown on his face. Now why would he pray to the deity of foxes? He wasn't at all sure whether to call Inari a male or female, though Inari struck him more as feminine than masculine. And that reminded him; why had the woman in the dream called him Youko Kurama? Well, he had written that paper. It must simply be his mind running away with him again. Closing his laptop, he stood and walked from the room, slipping into his jacket with the full intention of going out for a walk in the evening air. He quickly wrote Victoria a note and taped it to the fridge where it would be noticed, then left and locked the door behind him. It had quit raining, so there was a nice pleasant scent to the air.

As he walked leisurely down the street, he saw a commotion ahead. Curious, he walked to the group, seeing the man that was the cause of it all. It looked as if he used to be a respectable businessman. He had on a nice suit, and there was a leather briefcase to the side, obviously forgotten. But that's where all of his respectability ended. His hair was mussed, sticking up in odd ways and his eyes were wild, holding a terror within them Suichi had never before witnessed. "He has come!" the man shouted shouted, waving his arms in the air. "Lucifer has been summoned from the underworld! Death will befall us all!" Suichi thought the man positively insane.

"Those with a touch of the sixth sense are always affected first," came a murmur by his ear. Turning sharply, Suichi spied Aria as she melted back into the crowd. Suichi was floored. Surely Aria had been just a dream? But no, he distinctly saw the woman this time. Troubled, he made his way back to the apartment, no longer feeling like a walk. He'd need to rethink things, then. He didn't like being in situations where he was out of the loop.


	2. Remembrance

Well, here's the new chapter for Memories. Hope you guys enjoy it. Maybe this will get more reviews than my last chapter Of Death and Crows did.

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Suichi was up when Victoria came home. The young woman frowned as she watched her roommate. He seemed quite preoccupied about something. She quietly shut the door and put her things down before sitting beside him on the couch. He never even looked at her, so he was definitely thinking deeply. So she decided to get his attention. "'ey, Suichi, wha's on ya mind?"

The man blinked in surprise, coming out of whatever thought pattern he had been engaging in a moment before. He then turned his emerald eyes Victoria's way, frowning at the interruption.

"Sumthin' both'rin ya?"

He shrugged slightly as he let out a loud sigh, leaning back against the couch. Victoria monitored his movements, seeing confusion and unease. She crossed her arms, arching one eyebrow as she waited for his explanation. She wasn't letting him get away without one.

"Well, today I created a character in my creative writing class. An odd woman addressed me by my character's name. She managed to get inside this house, and then suddenly disappear. And when I saw her again, it was in a crowd surrounding a raving madman. She mentioned something about those with a sixth sense were affected first. I have a feeling that I'm missing something, but that I would get it if I only knew how to put the pieces together," he said after only a moment's silence. Obviously the man had wanted it all off of his chest.

Victoria nodded slightly while inside she worried. This was just the kind of thing she was supposed to look out for. But she needed to have one more thing confirmed. "Jus' a bi' of curiosi'y on my par', bu' who was your charac'er?" she asked.

"Oh, I've decided to call him Youko Kurama."

The woman nodded again. "Alrigh'. Well, ya seem to be feelin' a lo' bet'er, so I'm going to go up to my room," she told him before standing and heading upstairs, leaving Suichi to his thoughts.

Once in her room, she dug around in her drawers for her cell phone. She never took it with her, simply because this one wouldn't be receiving any normal calls. Finally digging it out from its hiding place, the young woman dialed in a series of numbers and pressed it to her ear.

"Koenma, sir, someone is trying to get to Kurama."

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Kurama sighed as he left the apartment, glad to be away. The last few days, Victoria seemed to be practically hovering over him. It must be because of what he told her a few days ago, about that odd woman. But today, Victoria had no excuse to stay home, not when her class was going to see the Queen's Gallery in London to study the art exhibits there. Even better, they were staying overnight, which got Victoria away from him for the whole free day he had. Sure, he'd have to deal with her tomorrow, but for now, he could do as he wished and not have to worry about the girl.

So he was going to spend the whole day out. He would walk where ever the fancy took him, and then catch the bus home when it grew late. He randomly picked a direction and just started walking. He absently noticed that he was walking past the place where that man had been rambling. Idly wondering what had happened to the man, Suichi continued past, not noticing that he had a fellow traveler behind him.

It was a nice, pleasant day. The sky was blue, free of the usual brooding clouds. That was one thing he missed about Japan. Here in England, the days were mostly overcast and gloomy. So today would be a day Suichi could cherish.

After about three hours worth of walking, Suichi decided he would take a break. There was a convenient park up ahead, so he angled off that way. He took his time following the winding sidewalks before climbing a tree, completely ignoring the waiting benches. He found himself a nice branch and looked out through the leaves, enjoying the brisk breeze.

"I see you haven't lost your love for trees, Kurama."

At the sudden, unexpected voice, Suichi nearly lost his balance on the branch, having to struggle to keep his seat. Once he was secure, he looked up, frowning at Aria. How did she get up there without him noticing? Surely he would have heard her? She was still wearing her trench coat and sunglasses, he noted. He then took a moment to study her more closely.

Aria was a thin, fit young woman and would be able to look him right in the eyes if they were standing. She was nicely tanned with a sculpted bone structure. She looked almost delicate, but she seemed to have a feral quality about her, and an unusual strength. Her slender fingers ended in nails that closely resembled claws, making them look quite dangerous. However, it was her hair that caught his attention. It was a bright silvery-white with electric blue streaks generously placed here and there in the short layers that framed her face. She obviously dyed it.

Shaking his head, Suichi finally found his voice. "How did you get up there?" he asked, frowning at her.

"Why, I climbed, of course. It wasn't obvious?"

"Yes, I realized that. But I'm sure I would have heard you."

Aria nodded, smile leaving her face. "Yes, if you were whole, you would have noticed me."

"And just what do you mean by that?"

"Half of your soul was locked away many years ago. You don't know how much it pains me to see you reduced to this, or the others."

Now Suichi was confused. "Others? What others? And how could my soul be locked away?"

Aria shook her head. "I can't tell you. You have to find these answers yourself. They are inside you; you just have to let them out into the open. Once you are yourself again, you will know the answers to your questions," she said before nimbly leaping from her high branch to land unhurt on the ground. "Oh, and one more thing. Your room mate is trouble," she added before darting off and leaving Suichi alone.

"Why does she always leave me feeling troubled?" Suichi muttered to himself as he climbed back down the tree to reach the ground safely. And just how did she not hurt herself jumping down like that? No longer in a good mood, Suichi canceled the rest of his walk, catching a bus back home.

He entered his silent house, locking it behind him as he removed his coat and sat down on the couch. The good day hadn't lasted, so the clouds had returned. Suichi hadn't bothered to turn on any lights, so it was very dark in the apartment building. But he really didn't care. Rather, he was more focused on Aria's words. So, he was locked away, was he? Dubious, but curious, he closed his eyes and imagined he was looking inside himself.

He suddenly found himself in what looked like a hallway that stretched on forever with door ways on both sides. Well, this was certainly unexpected, he thought, opening the door on his left. He found himself watching the day when his mother saved him as a child. Frowning, he quickly closed the door. Were these his memories, then?

He began to walk down the hall, noticing that every so often, a door was bolted shut. This greatly disturbed him. If this was his mind, all doors should be open to him. The farther along he went, the more locked doors he saw until there wasn't a single unlocked door around. He was also near the end, where a very large door rested. It was bolted as well, but also had chains in front of it. Was this what Aria had been speaking of?

Suichi considered the locks on the door before walking forward to touch a chain. He was instantly repelled by a large force, causing him to slide back a few steps. "What I wouldn't give for a lock-pick," he muttered to himself as he warily eyed the chains. There was a sudden clatter behind him, causing him to sharply turn and look down at the floor, only to see a single lock-pick. Confused but thankful, Suichi picked up the lock-pick and again approached the chains, this time prepared for the repelling force. Gritting his teeth, he held on and jammed the pick into the lock, fishing around before he heard a satisfying click. He repeated the process with the other chain and was left with a simple bolted door.

Cautiously, lest there be any more surprises, he approached the door and slid the pick into the lock. Nothing shocked him or forced him back, but this lock was a lot more difficult than the others. When he finally released the lock, Suichi reckoned he'd been working at it for a good half an hour. He could open the door now, but the question was did he really want to? He didn't even hesitate and threw open the door. He then promptly passed out at the sudden overload of information.

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When Victoria returned home, she found Suichi passed out on the couch. Sensing the demonic energy he now possessed, she could feel the blood draining from her face. This was not supposed the happen! How could he have regained his abilities? Well, she'd just have to contact Koenma and get this taken care of immediately before Suichi regained consciousness.

She headed for the stairs, but was soon stopped when a hand was placed on her shoulder. Gasping, she turned around and looked right into the face of a woman she didn't know.

"I wouldn't be doing that now, you silly girl. Who knows what could happen to you?"

Victoria almost quailed under the sinister smile that was directed her way. Who was this woman? And what did she have to do with Suichi? Well, obviously she was how he got his abilities back. But why would she want that to happen?

"No! You have to let me contact Rekai! He's an evil thief. We have to keep him under control!" she pleaded.

The woman shook her head. "You have been mislead, dear girl. And since you know about this…I will have to kill you. I can't have Koenma knowing what is going on. I'm sorry," she whispered, true sorrow in her gaze as she moved faster than Victoria's eyes could follow, twisting the girl's neck until there was a sickening pop. The body fell limply to the floor, never to rise again.

It was that soft sound that finally woke Suichi up. Squinting, he sat up, a hand cradling his forward as if he had an awful headache. As he sat there, ignoring his surroundings as he absorbed his memories, he began the process of finding himself. Finally, he looked up at the woman with him.

"Aria," he whispered, voice hoarse. "Is Koenma insane?!"

The woman shrugged. "Maybe he is, or maybe not. But you see why we need the others, yes?"

The kitsune incarnate nodded slowly. "Yes, of course." He then looked to Victoria. "Did you have to kill her? She was a nice friend to me."

"Yes, I had to. I cannot risk Koenma knowing you remember your past. Not if you want to stay free and save this world."

Kurama frowned, nodding. "I see," he murmured, then looked up at her. "Now, tell me, who exactly are you?"

Aria smiled slightly, removing her sunglasses. The eyes she pinned him with were distinctly inhuman. Her eyes were wholly a pale blue with a black slit for a pupil. "I am an animal shapeshifter, Kurama. No animal is beyond my abilities."

"Ah, well, I see why you wear those shades now."

"Now, the reason I am here is that I know what Koenma has done. I was there, but not as a human, which is probably why I was not captured as you and your friends were. I want to save this world from what Koenma has summoned."

"Alright then. We had better get moving, yes? Koenma won't know about this for a few days, but he will eventually learn what has come to pass. Guard will increase on the others as well. But I suppose it will be easier with me along, rather than you alone. So, shall we get going?"

"Of course, Kurama. But first, we need to do something about her," she said, motioning to Victoria.

"Wrap her in a sheet and bring her with us. Once we are out of the city I will take care of it." Kurama then stood up, pulling on his jacket as Aria obeyed him. The woman hefted the bundle on her shoulder, then followed Kurama outside. Night found them in a forest, where Aria placed her bundle on the ground. The kitsune solved the problem of the body by summoning up a mass of vines which pulled the body into the ground.

"Ok, then Aria. Who is the closest?"

"Yusuke and Kuwabara. They are both in the United States, though on opposite ends of the continent," she supplied.

Kurama was silent for a moment before smiling. "Plane or cruise?" he asked with a grin.

* * *

A deep chuckle reverberated through the darkness of the dungeons of Rekai. The bonds Koenma had placed on him were weakening. He could feel it. That pathetic prince thought he could control him? He could squash Koenma like the bug he was. Really, what had the little man been thinking? Oh, that was right. Koenma thought what he willed the man to think. No one could hold out from his dark whisperings, not even the prince of all Rekai. Soon. Soon he would have Koenma Jr. as a servant along with all of the world he would soon control. Yes, this was certainly a cause for celebratory laughter. 


End file.
